


The Charmed and The Banished

by WitchWayWizardry



Category: Charmed (TV 1998), The Banned and the Banished
Genre: Alternate Universe, Demons, Emptiness, F/M, Family, Fate & Destiny, Growing Up, James Rollins - Freeform, Loss, Love, Magic, No-Thing, Sisters, Spells & Enchantments, Still follows show's canon, The Void, The Wit'ch of Spirit and Stone - Freeform, This is going to be a long one, Truth, Warlocks, Whitelighter, Witches, at least until season 8, life - Freeform, lots of ideas, mostly - Freeform, not a lot written down, together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 03:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20324065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchWayWizardry/pseuds/WitchWayWizardry
Summary: The Charmed Ones, the most powerful good witches of all time, learn of a new addition to their shared destiny.  From 'The Banned and the Banished' - a fantasy novel series by bestselling author James Rollins - the Charmed Ones learn of the coming of the Wit'ch of Spirit and Stone, and the encroaching Void.  This fic is set in an alternate universe, that will feature crossovers, but will also closely follow the original Charmed television series.





	The Charmed and The Banished

Phoebe Halliwell was alone in the Halliwell manor one San Francisco afternoon. She knew her sisters: Prue and Piper, were no doubt hard at work, but Phoebe didn’t have any classes today. So, she took the afternoon to catch up on classwork and relax a bit. After all, the world wasn’t in danger of supernatural evil, she’d had no premonitions recently, and there were no innocents to save.

Phoebe and her two older sisters were witches, specifically the Charmed Ones, known to history and the magical communities as the most powerful good witches of all time. It was their collective destiny to fight and vanquish the forces of evil and protect the innocents whom that evil would harm. Inheriting their magic over the course of many generations, the Charmed Ones were capable of tapping into The Source of All Magic, when they three stand as one. That was something no other magical force was capable of, making the sisters able to perform incredible magic. 

And it was precisely that magic that made Phoebe and her sisters the targets of all types of evil that wanted to either destroy them, or steal the magic for themselves. For the last two years and some months, the Charmed Ones continued to survive, and sometimes even thrive. And it was a beautiful day like today that made Phoebe not only happy to be alive, but also to be a witch. It was almost Halloween after all, and the manor was appropriately decorated in anticipation.

That happiness faltered when she left her room to get a snack from the kitchen downstairs. A loud thud sounded from above and halted Phoebe in her tracks. The only thing above Phoebe was the attic, and after being demon free for a few days, the sound made her groan audibly. Still, she had to know what was up, so she made wearily her way to the stairs.

In the attic, the sister kept their most precious possession, their magical and family heritage: the Book of Shadows. It is arguably the most powerful tome for good magic in all worlds or dimensions, which is why evil was so keen on stealing it. The Book had ways of protecting itself from evil, but a noise coming from an empty attic was rarely ever a good thing.

Phoebe eased the attic door open, but found the hinges hindered. Shoving past the foreign weight, she peered around the attic quickly before looking behind the door. The Book of Shadows was on the floor. Did it slam itself against the door to escape an evil trying to steal it? It had fallen open like it sometimes would, but after scanning the room again, Phoebe couldn’t see any sign of an intruder. She picked up the book, closed it carefully, and set it down on the pedestal that was its home. But before she could even turn away, the Book of Shadows flew open again. The pages fluttered as they turned, and Phoebe waited with bated breath for what the book wanted to show her.

\---------------------

Prue noticed Piper driving behind her, no doubt returning from her nightclub P3, just as Prue was driving home from work as well. The sisters gave each other a one armed embrace, crushing their purses into their sides, and exchanged pleasantries about their day as they walked up the manor stairs. Stepping inside their home, they could see Phoebe at the dining room table. She had the Book of Shadows open, with a collection of crystals and maps, clearly scrying as she dangled an amethyst from a chain over a map of the United States of America.

“Phoebe?” Piper called for her attention.

“Did something happen?” Prue asked.

“Hey,” Phoebe answered, “And yeah, I’ve been trying to figure it out for a while now.”

“So, what happened?” Prue asked again.

“Well, a couple hours ago, it sounded like the Book threw itself against the attic door. And when I went and got it, every time I try to close it, it’ll just open back to these pages.”

To confirm, Prue closed the Book, but backwards, but true to Phoebe’s words, the Book immediately opened to the same pages. And they weren’t the best pages the sisters had seen.

“The Void?” Prue recited.

“Yep,” Phoebe nodded with her lips pursed, “And it gets better…”

“The Void, also known as the Empty or No-Thing, is the nature of the Universe before Creation,” Piper read at Phoebe’s side, “Since Existence, the Void has been the opposite, the true eternal enemy of Life. Forever encroaching, the goal of the Void is the extinction of Life, of Magic itself. It will swallow the Universe, ending all of creation, returning all to Nothingness.”

“Yeah,” Phoebe said, “And according to the Book, the Void has minions, anti-magical creatures it controls throughout all worlds. The better to eat the whole Universe with, my dear.”

“Okay, don’t you just love how the Book seems to add the very worst passages to itself for our amusement?” Prue asked, sarcastically.

“Oh, sure…” Piper scoffed, shaking her head.

“What’re you scrying for?” Prue asked her youngest sister.

Phoebe pointed to the next page of the Book, and Piper resumed her reading.

“The Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone?” Piper absorbed that title for a moment, “Okay… The Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone is the Chosen of Life. Called at maturity, known by the Rose in Hand, wielding terrible Fire and impossible Strength, the Wit’ch alone can beat back the encroaching Void. Every five centuries, with three Guardians, to guide, protect, and instruct; the Diary will be found, the Blade will be forged and a terrible war waged. Fate falls to the Wit’ch - with Rose, Blade, Blood Diary, and Guardians Three - to face the Void and avert calamity.”

“So, I’m scrying for this Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone,” Phoebe explained, “’Cause avoiding calamity seems like something worth doing, am I right?”

“And I’m guessing there hasn’t been much luck finding her in the city?” Prue picked up one of Phoebe’s maps, this one of the whole world.

“I haven’t had any luck at all,” Phoebe sighed, “And I can’t find anything relevant in the book to help explain some of vagueness of those passages.”

“Leo?” Piper called, with her eyes to the ceiling.

“Phoebe, why didn’t you call us home to help with this?” Prue asked, concerned.

“Because there was no evil in the house, I didn’t have any premonitions, and I didn’t want to pull you two away for something that I had no answers to explain.”

“Leo?” Piper called again.

A swirl of blue-white lights appeared at her side, and from them materialized Leo Wyatt, the sister’s Whitelighter - a kind of guardian angel for good witches. He took in their concerned looks and the evidence of Phoebe’s efforts on the table before asking.

“Something wrong?”

“We’re not sure yet, honey,” Piper told her fiancé, “But what do you know about a Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone?”

Leo’s eyes widened and he leaned over the dining table, sliding the Book of Shadows closer. He took a moment to read the pages, his brow furrowed in thought. Prue always was the most impatient sister in the family.

“Leo? Do you know something about this?” She asked.

“Yeah, every Whitelighter does,” He explained, “We’re taught about the Wit’ch while we train as new Whitelighters. We’re told to always be vigilant. When the Wit’ch appears, the Void will return, and we’ll need to be ready. Some millennia ago, three Whitelighters were the Guardians to the Wit’ch, which is part of why we all know the legends.”

“So Whitelighters are the Guardians?” Piper asked.

“No, it was only the once, that one Wit’ch,” Leo answered, “Guardians have been all manner of magical beings: fairies, nymphs, muses, leprechauns, angels, demons, warlocks -.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Prue interrupted, “Demons have guarded this woman? And warlocks?”

“The Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone is the Warrior of Life and the Defender of Magic,” Leo explained, “Life and Magic are not intrinsically good or evil, so the Wit’ch can be either or neither. And they are not always women; there have been male Wit’ches before.”

“Well that might explain why I’m having so much trouble scrying for them,” Phoebe said.

“And it might be because they haven’t awoken to their powers yet,” Leo added, “How did you know about this? The Wit’ch?”

“The Book,” Phoebe said simply.

Leo nodded his understanding and considered silently for a moment.

“I’ll go check with the Elders, see if they know anything about the Wit’ch’s rebirth,” Leo said, “In the meantime, don’t worry about it too much, there’s still a lot we don’t know.”

Leo gave Piper a quick kiss before turning into lights and vanishing again, transporting to the realm of the Whitelighter Elders as he said.

“He said there’s still a lot we don’t know,” Prue said, noting Piper and Phoebe’s expression.

“Yeah, he did,” Phoebe confirmed.

“But how many Guardians does this Wit’ch have?” Piper asked, holding up three fingers, “And it’s just a coincidence that their ‘coming’ is foretold by our magical book?”

The Charmed Ones looked down at the passages still on display from their Book of Shadows, pondering their questions silently.

\---------------------

The next morning, Jacob Whitman, a young man of sixteen strode out into the sunlight, a happy glow about his face. He collected his bicycle from the nearby rack and rode through the streets of San Francisco, bobbing and weaving through the early morning traffic. When he arrived at his destination, a small construction site, he chained his bike and collected a hardhat from the pegged wall. His boss, Mr. Harris, saw Jacob approach with a spring in his step.

“The hell’s with you today, Whitman?” Harris asked.

“Just a good day, boss man. Just a good day,” Jacob replied.

“Well, sorry to burst that bubble, but we don’t need you today,” Harris said.

“Really?” Jacob asked with a disbelieving smile, “You don’t need help, Harris? You can’t use another pair of free hands.”

“Nothing free about you helping us out,” Harris countered, “Skimming off my pay to pay you…”

“And you know how much that means to me,” Jacob said, “And I’ve always got your back, don’t I?”

Mr. Harris sighed and jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

“Damn it, go help Rio with prep, you can work for a couple hours. Talk pay later.”

“You’re the best!” Jacob hurried to the workers area.

“Just don’t get hurt!” Mr. Harris called out.

Jacob met with Rio and started prepping the wood and metals for the day’s construction; he didn’t even bother masking his happiness, or the hum in his voice.

“What’s got you so happy, hombre?” Rio asked.

Jacob gave the older man and friend a pointed look and smirk.

“Oh!” Rio exclaimed, “You and Danielle?”

“Last night,” Jacob nodded.

“Well, all right!” Rio high-fived Jacob with a laugh, “And that’s why you’re working today, instead of spending the morning in bed with your lady? Gotta pay off the restaurant or something?”

“No, nothing like that,” Jacob laughed and resumed working, “It wasn’t planned, it just happened. And she’s got work too, so no bed time for us.”

Rio raised an eyebrow and grinned.

“You know what I mean,” Jacob laughed.

“Well, anyways, good for you man,” Rio said.

“Thanks.”

Jacob stretched his arms high, not realizing his hand was reaching toward the sun. As his right hand was bathed in the rays of the yellow star, it seemed to be swallowed by the light. Suddenly, Jacob sounded a pained gasp, doubling over and holding his right hand to his gut.

“Whoa, Jake,” Rio stepped forward concerned, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Jacob tentatively lifted his hand, staring in awe along with Rio. Now stained a blood-red from his wrist to the tips of his fingers, Jacob watched black swirls of varying intensity and vibrancy slowly moving over his skin.

“The hell?” Rio breathed.

Jacob hurried away, and Rio did not call after him. Finding the public restroom next door to the , Jacob locked himself inside and stood in front of the mirror, examining every inch of his right hand. He vigorously scrubbed at the colors with soap and water to no effect. The slowly shifting lines of black and grey were almost hypnotic; occasionally vanishing in the thick red underneath, with new unique forms appearing to take their place. Still, Jacob scrubbed and washed and scratched, growing more and more panicked and frustrated. He slammed his dripping fists on the linoleum countertop of the restroom sink, and jumped back at the sound of violent cracking.

Where his left fist struck, the off-white faux-marble was still pristine and undamaged. Where his right fist hit, however, frightening fractures were creeping over the entire sink’s surface. Jacob stood paralyzed, seeing tiny shards and fragments dropping to the tiled floor. It didn’t take long for his fight or flight response to kick in and he hurried out of the gas station bathroom, but Jacob still heard the loud crash as the sink collapsed to the floor. He didn’t stop as the other patron shouted and clamored over the sound of spraying pipes.

Rio was waiting for Jacob at the entrance of the construction site.

“What’s up, man?” He asked.

“I have to go,” Jacob barely slowed down, “Tell Harris I just skipped out or something!”

Jacob sped away on his bicycle, despite Rio protests.

\---------------------

Piper poured Phoebe a big, black cup of coffee when her little sister trudged into the kitchen. Prue had already left for the work day; she had an early photo shoot at sunrise.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Piper quipped.

“Ugh,” Phoebe grabbed an English muffin and headed for the toaster, “What’s sleep?”

“You know you can’t worry about something if we don’t know anything, Pheebs.”

“Well, yeah, but I wasn’t up with the Book of Shadows. It was my school work. I spent all afternoon working on this Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone stuff that I had to cut my beauty rest short to work on some assignments. Hey, did Leo ever get back home last night?”

“No, he did not,” Piper shook her head, “But that’s when I remind myself not to worry about that kind of stuff until it’s absolutely necessary.”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

“Fine…” Piper shot her smirking sister a look.

Phoebe accepted the cup of coffee from Piper and immediately gasped, her body going tense.

A busy street and an alleyway, and two men were advancing on a boy; he looked very nervous as he backed away from them. One of the men had a knife; they were threatening that kid. With his back against the wall, the assailants took one more step forward when suddenly their jackets burst into flames.

The vision ended. And Phoebe put down the mug; the heat from the coffee was a little too similar to the heat from the fire she witnessed.

“What was it?” Piper asked.

“Scrying crystal still out from yesterday?” Phoebe already moved to exit the kitchen.

Piper nodded and followed her little sister, expecting the answers as her sister magically locates her target.

\---------------------

Jacob was, for lack of a better phrase: freaking out! He tried to take shelter in an alley, catch his breath, and wait out the hours until Dani was off her shift and he could go to her, but this day would just not give him a break. The three thugs were now two, because Jacob shoved one off of him when his shirt was grabbed. The attacker went flying, literally through the air, slamming against a brick wall, and fell to the ground unconscious. 

“I said to leave me alone,” Jacob backed away from the two remaining men, “You saw what I did to your friend!”

“And we’ll do worse to you, you little punk,” The bigger of the two pulled out a knife.

There was a squealing of tires and an SUV tore into the alley, but none of them paid the car any mind. Because it was at that moment, when Piper and Phoebe Halliwell exited the car, that Jacob’s back met the wall in Phoebe’s premonition. He threw up his hands in defense, and immediately the attacker’s clothes spontaneously combusted.

“Piper!” Phoebe shouted.

Her sister threw her own hands forward, fingers splayed, and her magic forced all motion, for time itself, to halt. The attackers were frozen in place, only just noticing they were on fire, but even the flames had stopped. The air was completely still; the wind had stopped blowing. The only ones still moving were Piper, her sister, and the mysterious boy who stared at the spectacle with shock and pure terror.

“I’ll get him,” Piper said softly, hurrying around the frozen burning men.

“No! No! Please, stay back!” The boy tripped and scrambled back from Piper.

“It’s alright,” Piper advanced slowly with a hand extended, “We won’t hurt you.”

“You don’t…” He cast a terrified look back at the magical display, “You don’t understand; I don’t know what’s happening to me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Piper shot a glance to Phoebe. Her sister found a fire hose belonging to one of the alley’s connected establishments. She was ready to put out the burning men when Piper got the boy.

“We want to help with that,” Piper said, “And I don’t think you’ll hurt us if you don’t want too.” 

After another moment’s hesitation, the boy took Piper’s hand, they both noticed her reaction to the bizarre appearance of his right hand, but Piper pushed her thoughts aside to guide the boy around the still frozen assailants. When they reached the car, Phoebe turned on the hose, drenching the men, freeing them from Piper’s powers and extinguishing the fire. The force of the water threw the men to the ground, and while they were distracted, Phoebe dropped the hose and dashed back to the waiting car. The attackers were still shaking the water from their eyes but the SUV was already gone.

\---------------------

Jacob couldn’t keep his mind from racing; thousands of thoughts, fears, and theories flooded through him. The glass of water given to him by Piper still shook slightly, after they reached their gigantic home and she settled him in the sunroom. Phoebe assured him of his safety and their help while they drove from the site of his attack. He told them his name, but little else; he wanted to know more, understand more before sharing more. 

He watched the sisters, two beautiful strangers, talking quietly together a short distance away in the dining room. Then the front door opened with a new voice and another beautiful woman entering. Jacob peered around to see her as she approached her sisters. That would be Prue; the others mentioned she was on her way home. She cast him a glance with a welcoming smile before whispering more with Piper and Phoebe. Agreeing on something, the trio turned and walked to him; Piper and Phoebe sitting on the wicker loveseat, and Prue on the chair opposite Jacob.

“Jacob, right?” Prue confirmed, “I’m Prue.”

Jacob nodded, but didn’t speak. Prue wore her raven hair long, framing her face and down her back. She had gorgeous pale skin, a soft round face, and piercing blue eyes.

“I understand that this must be really scary for you, but I promise we’re going to do everything we can to help you, okay?”

“Then tell me what the hell’s going on,” Jacob blurted, “Start with that: what the hell happened in that alley?!”

“Well, I guess the best place to start would be that we’re witches,” Phoebe explained, “Good witches, we promise.”

“Witches?” Jacob repeated.

The blonde, tanned woman nodded and flashed a comforting, but brilliant smile. Jacob suspected her hair might not be naturally blonde, but her stunning sharp features and toned, voluptuous physique were all natural. Phoebe’s rich brown eyes shone with pride at the mention of their magical identities.

“Right, and it’s what we think you are too.”

“You think… I’m… a witch?” Jacob confirmed.

“Yes, but not just a witch,” Phoebe set down the massive old-looking book and pushed toward him, “We think you might be the Wit’ch. The right page is bookmarked.”

Jacob looked down at the intricate, but simple symbol of interlocking curves and circles forming a trinity of sorts. It was a beautiful book, to be sure, but from how these three sisters were watching and waiting, Jacob wondered what the deeper meaning could be. Still, Jacob reached a hand forward, gripped the bindings of the book and gently opened the crinkling brown pages. He noticed when the sisters all exchanged glances at his action and stopped.

“What?” Jacob asked.

“Well, that book’s pretty special,” Piper explained, “It can protect itself and evil can’t touch it. You can, so…”

Piper tucked a wayward lock of brunette hair behind her ear; Jacob could tell she was a wise and nurturing woman. Her hazel eyes complimented the gentle oval shape of her face. Her patient demeanor was only overshadowed by her obvious worry. She worried for her family, but just as much for him, a complete stranger. Piper clearly was a woman gifted with compassion.

“Oh…” Jacob was starting to feel a little too overwhelmed, “Okay… Look, can someone please just explain?”

“We don’t want to bombard you with too much -.” Piper said.

“Please, just do it!” Jacob begged, “I can sort it out later!”

“Piper?” A new voice spoke.

Jacob looked up to see a handsome man with dirty-blond hair and kind blue eyes suddenly standing near the edge of the dining room. Jacob hadn’t heard any footsteps or doors opening, so naturally, he was startled at the sight. 

“It’s alright,” Piper said quickly, “That’s Leo; he’s…”

“One thing at a time,” Prue muttered.

Piper nodded and gave Jacob an apologetic smile, “Be right back.”

She stepped away to speak with the man named Leo.

“Jacob?” Phoebe reached out and touched his red-and-black hand, “When did this happen? Do you know what it is?”

“This morning, and no,” Jacob flexed his fingers, “Do you? Why is it moving?”

“That’s a good question…” Prue sat next to him, examining his hand closely, “It’s warm…”

Piper and Leo moved forward together.

“Well, they confirmed it,” Piper said carefully, “He’s the Wit’ch.”

“Okay, seriously, what Wit’ch?!” Jacob’s voice carried a twinge of desperation.

Prue opened the massive book again and flipped to the page marked by a red ribbon running along the spine. She passed the book to Jacob and the adults all let him read in silence. He took in the words and images silently; when he finished reading, he ran his hands over his face, rubbed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, clearly processing as best he could.

“So, what did I just read?” He asked after a long moment of silent reflection.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” Prue said to the others rather than Jacob, “Usually they’re running out of here the moment they take one look at the book.”

“Seems like that would be pretty stupid,” Jacob responded, “Since I have no idea what’s going on, I’d rather not hurt anyone, and apparently there’ll be things after me, so leaving’s probably not the smart choice… So, please, just help me understand?”

\---------------------

Jacob stared at nothing for a while; the Charmed Ones and their Whitelighter waited and watched him patiently. Jacob blindly reached for his glass of water, took several deep gulps, and lowered it with a sigh.

“So, magic is real?” Jacob began his review of what he’d learned, “And you three are good witches. Really, really powerful witches called the Charmed Ones who fight evil things like demons and warlocks. And also, demons and warlocks are real? Right?”

“Right,” Prue confirmed, nodding with her sisters.

“And you’re a Whitelighter: a witch’s guardian angel and also Piper’s fiancé who works for a bunch of ‘Elders’ up in heaven, but not really heaven?”

“Yep,” Leo nodded and smiled.

“Okay, let’s put a pin in all that and assume I accept everything I just said,” Jacob looked at his red hand again, “And this…? You think that I’m this ‘Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone’?”

“The Elders confirmed it,” Leo explained, “When you received your powers, after raising your hand into the sun, they could sense your awakening and your magic.”

“The sun did this to me?” Jacob looked down at his hand.

“No, it was your magic,” Leo explained, “You see, the Wit’ch is the Chosen of Life Itself, which you read. Remember? The sun is one of the few natural and magical forces responsible for the cycle of life. The Rose – that’s what’s happening to your hand – is a part of the Wit’ch, it serves as a conduit to All-Magic. It enhances and channels your abilities, and the sun supplies the power to fuel your magic. These two combined have given you incredible strength and the power to start magical fires with your mind.”

“Wit’ch Fire,” Jacob whispered.

“Wit’ch Fire?” Phoebe asked.

“That’s…” Jacob realized what he said, what he was about to say, “That’s what it’s called… How do I know that?”

“Because,” Prue answered, “They’re your powers; you’re the Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone.”

“The Chosen of Life,” Jacob recited, “Beating back the encroaching Void… And three Guardians?”

“Yep, we’re thinking that’s us,” Phoebe said.

“The Elders are thinking that as well,” Leo chimed in, “But they’re… hesitant…”

“The Elders? No!” Piper sarcastically commented, “That doesn’t sound like them at all…”

Leo smirked as Phoebe and Prue snickered.

“In any case, they’re hesitant because, well…” Leo rubbed the back of his neck with a hand, “No Wit’ch of Spirit and Stone has ever been guarded by other witches. And the fact that you’re the Charmed Ones… The most powerful good witches of all time…”

The sisters nodded in unison, silently pondering that revelation.

“Why me?” Jacob asked in a quiet voice, “Why now?”

“Destiny can be a real kick in the teeth,” Prue answered, “We’ve often asked why us when it comes to destiny. But as to now…”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Piper said, “The Book of Shadows says the Wit’ch comes into their powers ‘at maturity.’ But what does that mean? Every society has some definition of maturity, after all.”

“Maybe it has to do with the Wit’ch themselves?” Phoebe mused.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Piper nodded, “For girls, when they ‘become’ women, it’s usually when they start their first cycle. But for men… Sorry, Jacob, but umm… are you still a virgin?”

Jacob raised his eyes slowly at her question, his cheeks reddening slightly, and shook his head.

“Sorry again, but when?” Piper asked.

“Last night…” Jacob mumbled his answer.

“When the boy becomes a man?” Prue asked.

“But that’s ridiculous,” Phoebe interjected, “Whether or not someone’s had sex has nothing to do with maturity; or at least it shouldn’t.”

“You're right, it shouldn't. But, what does society think?” Leo posited, “And we’re all governed by cultural rules.”

“So…” Jacob spoke up, wanting to change the subject, “What happens next?”

“We’re not sure,” Phoebe admitted, “But we’ll help you figure it out.”

She patted Jacob’s hand, the left one not covered by the red, red Rose; she immediately gasped, her body flinching and her eyes slamming shut.

“It’s okay,” Prue assured Jacob as he jumped in his seat, “She’s just having a premonition.”

“Phoebe?” Piper asked when her sister had opened her eyes.

Phoebe cast a quick look at Jacob, before standing and addressing her sisters.

“Innocent to save,” She said, impossibly fast, “I know where; I’ll explain on the way.”

Piper and Prue scrambled to follow their sister out the back door of the Manor, leaving Leo with Jacob. And no matter how fast the sisters moved, they weren’t faster than spoken words.

“Wait,” Jacob called out, “Where are you going?”

“Don’t worry,” Phoebe answered as the Charmed Ones filed out the door, “We’ll be back and she’ll… umm, we’ll be fine.”

Jacob looked back at Leo, catching that Freudian slip just like Phoebe did.

\---------------------

Prue slammed one of the demons attacking the girl – their innocent – using her power of telekinesis against the far wall. Phoebe was using her burgeoning talent for the martial arts to hold off another, while Piper swung a metal pipe at a third enemy’s head, legs, and groin. The best that they could do would be to hold off the demons, best case would be to drive them off, since they had no way of vanquishing the evil creatures at the moment.

They fought hard, but they knew that they’d already arrived too late. Several other mortals were already dead, and the demons had only left this girl, the girl from Phoebe’s vision, left alive. But they didn’t intend to leave her alive. Why the demons were attacking this place, these people, was unclear. All that mattered at the moment was keeping this girl alive. Because in Phoebe’s vision: she was dead, and Jacob was distraught, sobbing and clinging to her body. In her vision, they’d failed.

But like her vision was incomplete, their knowledge of their enemies was also incomplete. They failed to notice the fourth demon, creeping up on the cowering girl, terrified and confused. The sisters did see, however, the arrival of swirling white-blue lights, and out of them came Leo and Jacob. 

Jacob saw the sisters fighting and their magic. He saw the demons and their frightening faces. And he saw the girl, Danielle, being stabbed from behind by the fourth demon none of them noticed before. The scream Jacob sounded shook the whole building, and the power that exploded out of him was tremendous. Magical fire, carrying all the colors of the rainbow, erupted from his whole body and bathed all who were present in its warmth. It spared the witches, the whitelighter, and the bodies of the mortals. It consumed the evil, burning them to nothing; so quickly, the demons had no chance to run, or even to scream. 

And so, Phoebe’s vision came true. They failed to save the girl; it was her time to die. They saw the young boy, holding the girl’s body as his shook from his sobbing. 

\---------------------

“This is gonna be another one to add to the ‘things that just don’t add up’ pile. It’s really becoming a staple of mine and my career,” Inspector Darryl Morris said with chagrin, “Sorry, I know this wasn’t your fault, but do you have any idea what these ones were after?”

“Didn’t really have the chance to ask them before he vanquished them,” Phoebe said.

“Have you contacted his parents yet?” Piper asked.

“Not yet,” Darryl admitted, “He’s insisting that he can take care of himself, and as another favor, we’ll be leaving him out of the report.”

“Thank you, Darryl,” Prue said, “We can only imagine how hard this is for you to keep doing this for us.”

“Hasn’t come back to bite me yet, but I’m happy to; so long as you explain what happened here? When you know, of course. I can tell by your faces that you’re not quite sure.”

“Of course, we will,” Prue said, “And we can still expect you for Halloween next week?”

“Sure,” Darryl gave each of them a quick pat on their shoulders before moving back to help process the poor unfortunate victims.

Jacob sat apart from the rest. The sisters and their whitelighter went to him; Piper kneeling beside him.

“We know you’re not doing okay, but can we take you somewhere?” She asked.

“Do you want us to call anyone?” Phoebe asked.

“We can do our best to explain,” Leo offered.

“No, no more explaining,” Jacob muttered, sniffing away another tear, “It’s too much. I just… it’s too much…”

None of them stopped the boy from getting to his feet, and hurriedly walked away with his hands in his pockets; trying so hard to get away from the world. But they all knew, he would never be able to escape his destiny.

Overhead, unbeknownst to them all, the Wit’ch Star that blazed faintly in the night sky, was finally beginning to fade. After five hundred years, its light was dying. And the Void began to encroach.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter One takes place before the Season 3 episode 'All Halliwell's Eve'.


End file.
